


Fortunate Son and the Wolf's Call: A Delicious Rendezvous

by TenhaMouchi



Series: Beowulf x Ms. Fortune (Skullgirls) [3]
Category: Skullgirls (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Minor fight scene, Romance, Wholesome, date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenhaMouchi/pseuds/TenhaMouchi
Summary: Another request by Hylik!Nadia invites Beowulf on a date, his first one in a long time. She wants to take the relationship to the next level, and fortunately for her--Beowulf knows a place where they can eat in peace. A minor distraction, an old friend, delicious hamburgers, and New Meridian's nightlife will serve them well... But how will it go? Beowulf thinks it'll be great.Lan belongs to me, Skullgirls is of course, property of Lab 0/Alex Ahad.
Relationships: Beowulf/Ms. Fortune (Skullgirls)
Series: Beowulf x Ms. Fortune (Skullgirls) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786432
Kudos: 2





	Fortunate Son and the Wolf's Call: A Delicious Rendezvous

The sound of leather shoes clacked along the concrete walkway of the New Meridian National Park. The umber light of the street lamps off to the side painted a visage of a man walking through; his tall, muscular figure casting a large shadow on the road behind him. He was currently in disguise, but, there was Beowulf--the legendary wrestling champ of the NMO--taking a nightly stroll. A grin across his face, the incognito man continued his gentle stroll down the path--admiring the flora as it danced in the moonlight…

Beowulf thought the spring nights of New Meridian were almost perfect. The gentle breeze, the sounds of nightlife in the distance, and the unmistakable smell of nature around him. If he didn’t have something to do this evening, he’d most likely take a stroll in the park and watch the fireflies dance about playfully in the night’s embrace. Absentmindedly, he remembered a time in which he’d come to the park on a field trip... He wondered aloud, “Maybe they got those new filtered drinking fountains installed? I heard Andy making a big deal about them.”

Though, he wasn’t here to speculate on whether or not the good tasting water would be available right at his fingertips; he was here because Nadia Fortune had told him to wait on this empty sidestreet near the east entrance for her. He understood why she’d wanted them to meet in such an isolated place; after all, despite being the woman he loved, she was still Nadia Fortune--the most famous thief in all of New Meridian. And while Beowulf didn’t care what the media thought about them--especially after his acting career--he knew that it would put their lives at considerable risk. Therefore, both elected that it would be best if they kept it on the downlow. That’s why he’d come here in disguise, after all.

Still, the prospect of going on a date with Nadia intrigued Beowulf greatly. _“I haven’t gone on a date since I was 25…”_ That was over _12 years_ ago. _“Pfft. Anything would be better than_ **_that_ ** _date… Nadia alone would be an infinity times better than that debacle.”_ His memories turned to when he’d gone on what he remembered as the only date he’d ever had. He was pretty sure the NMO had done it as a publicity stunt; but, the night that he spent with the ‘Princess of Lions’ was in fact one of the worst nights he’d ever had the misfortune of going through.

He grit his teeth remembering it. _“Where the hell do I even start with that? First of all, she wanted to go to some avant-garde, ‘fancy place’ at the edge of town. If that wasn’t bad enough, the place was stale as a dry piece of bread, they served dishes that I had to use a magnifying glass for, and the prices… good god the_ **_prices!_ ** _Am I buying a car or am I getting dinner?”_ Beowulf audibly gagged at the thought. While his first date had been a blunder in every sense; he still held high hopes for his excursion with Nadia. He still hadn’t forgotten that night he’d helped her face her problems.

That image of them kissing in the aurora would never fade from his memory. While there had been lows in that night; Beowulf made sure that Nadia was safe--and it ended on a high-note; both of them telling one another that they were in love. It was that same love that brought Beowulf here. He sighed as he remembered the feeling of holding her close to him as they slept together on the couch--his wool sweater felt extra warm that evening…

Instead of an embroidered sweater, he thought that tonight he’d chosen to be street casual. He wore a Meridian High Alumni brown bomber jacket, a t-shirt depicting two men’s headshots facing away from each other against a psychedelic background, an NMO buckled leather belt, indigo jeans, and caramel leather shoes. Instead of his normal, straight-cut hair, he’d chosen to slick the main part of it back and do the rest up in a short ponytail. The last article chosen was a pair of red-tinted, round framed glasses that hid his eyes well. He’d worn an outfit similar to this many times before to avoid the paparazzi. They never knew that he was right under their noses with this disguise--he’d fooled everybody!

Almost everyone; he’d soon find out as a pair of arms reached around and hugged him from behind. Slightly, he tilts his head back to see Nadia Fortune who had put on a cheerful smile. His eyes bulged when she saw that she was wearing; an aquamarine dress that had been painstakingly threaded together with the utmost detail. It had many frilly patterns, long cuffs, a diamond encrusted collar, and a multiple directional flowing bottom. In conjunction with said dress, she also wore a tiny hat of the same color, and long black legging with floral patterns underneath. Beowulf felt his heart leap into his chest; she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. If he’d known they were getting fancy--he’d have brought his dress suit! _“Earth to Beowulf, she is standing RIGHT behind you!”_ He shook his head and smiled at her, “Good evening, Nadia… I love your dress, it’s beautiful!”

Nadia flashed a smug grin, “What? This thing?” She asked nonchalantly. She pointed at her dress and unsheathed her left claw. With an elegant flair, she sliced the dress from thread to thread--destroying the dress in its entirety and leaving an entirely new outfit. Nadia was dressed in a silk sweater, a velvet jacket with a red cotton collar and white cuffs; black pants, and a fine pair of ink leather shoes. In satisfaction, she loudly meowed and stretched herself out. “Ah, that’s much better than that silly thing…” She mused, “Did you really expect me to wear something that prissy? What kind of girl do you take me for, Wulf?”

Beowulf was slack jawed, and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “Why’d you do that!?” He exclaimed while waving his hands for emphasis, “That dress was probably worth a fortune! … No pun intended, of course.”

“You’re right about that part.” Nadia giggled, “That’s why I stole it from the beauty department at the Meridian Hallmark; I wanted to see the look on your face when I did that--and you did _not_ disappoint!” She hunched over in a full laugh.

Beowulf felt defeated and let out a sigh, “That dress looked really good on you though; you sent me swinging with that one, Nadia--you were amazing looking in it.”

Nadia’s cheeks went rosy, “W-Well, I think my outfit is fine as it is now! Besides, you look ridiculous in that getup!”

Beowulf smiled smugly, and folded his arms defensively, “It is not ridiculous, I’m cool looking, and besides I wear this to avoid the paparazzi! You know damn well what’ll happen if we get recognized out here too…”

“I know that, but seriously? You look like someone’s dad!” Nadia snorted and slapped her knee, “Red tinted glasses, what are you, a rock-star!?” She laughed again.

“I’ll have you know that this works like a charm.” Beowulf said confidently. He pointed down the street, “You wanna get going? It’s right this way!”

“Of course I do.” Nadia smiled, “Lead the way, Wulf~” Together, they started out of the parkway and onto the main road. When the light hit Beowulf’s shades he smiled. Easily one of the best things about New Meridian was its vivacious nightlife. The golden light of the skyscrapers to the east of them coated the city in an amber glow. Everywhere you looked there were advertisements, people walking about, cars rushing along, and the sound of distant music. It was if Beowulf had suddenly stepped inside a Television. Cheerfully he walked along with Nadia; their dress shoes making taps against the pavement below.

The hustle and bustle of the technicolor dream around them only serving as ambience--Beowulf’s thoughts went back to Nadia. _“The way she blushed after I said her dress was beautiful; god damn she’s adorable!”_ He was so glad she wanted to do this with him. Initially, he thought she’d be more reserved about going out; but luckily, she’d gotten a disguise too. Grant it, she had a very distinct cut on her neck--but really, who would look at that? Why get hung up about a few scars when you could see such a beautiful woman underneath that?

Beowulf smiled as they continued on. They were about halfway there and had just passed a four way intersection that overlooked Ahad Bridge. He couldn’t believe that anyone had not stared at them by this point. Nadia’s words about him looking like ‘someone’s dad’ had made him a bit more self-conscious about people’s glares. He wouldn’t care if they stared at him funnily; really, he was concerned about Nadia’s wellbeing. 

She hadn’t really done anything differently to hide herself other than her outfit and--Beowulf felt something squeeze onto his hand. He looked over to see Nadia--now walking beside him--and she was holding his hand. Beowulf sniffed and managed to stifle a sigh; Nadia couldn’t be any cuter if she tried to. They interlocked fingers together; Beowulf could feel the warmth of Nadia’s hand amidst the fading bite of winter. He felt like he was soaring into the sky when he was with this woman, and he never wanted to come down…

Reality kicked back in, and he could see the diner in the distance. The lights of the well-kept neon sign were a poinciana in a forest of evergreens. They’d reached the Ahad Bridge in a couple minutes and had ascended the staircase on the right side of the bridge. By the time they went across the bridge itself, Beowulf noticed that Nadia was leaning on him… In a gesture, he leaned on her too as they walked--playfully, they shoved each other about until they both laughed. Still holding hands, they reached the diner Beowulf had known as ‘Franklin’s.’

It had the lookings of a classic diner with its rectangular shape, arched glass windows, neon lighting around the top, and the pair of double doors with iron bars diagonally acting as handles. _“Alright, Beowulf… You haven’t dated in a long ass time, but you at least remember common courtesy! Let’s do this!”_ Beowulf walked ahead of Nadia and held open the door while ushering her inside. The catgirl giggled and gave Beowulf a lovely glance as she went in. _“Smooth, Wulf. Smooth.”_ He followed her in and was greeted with the familiar smell that he’d known since he was a kid. Beowulf would often come here after school to study and grab a bite to eat if mama was doing her thing on the other side of town.

“Welcome, come in and I’ll grab you two a seat right away!” A chipper, deep and salty voice sounded. Beowulf looked behind the counter to see a familiar face; there near the cook's station was Lancaster Franklin. Like Nadia, he was also a beastkin--of the dog variety--and the third generation owner of Franklin’s. He was almost Beowulf’s height, a middle aged man with two pointed canine ears, a stubble, shaggy brown hair, a slightly robust build, a straight face, and eyes as silver as the diner’s exterior. He was polishing a dish when they’d come in, but threw it back onto a counter when his eyes met Beowulf’s. “Well now, is that who I think it is?” He chuckled and cupped his chin in mock inquisitivity.

“It sure is, but keep it on the downlow, would you?” Beowulf said back in a playful tone, “Great to see you, Lan, buddy. How are things holding up here?” 

“Just fine!” He brushed a bit of his hair to the side, “Haven’t seen you in ages, Wulf! And how are you two this fine evening?”

“We’re doing great~” Nadia smiled, “Wulf, I’ll go find us a table really quick. Nice to meet you sir.” She started off for the tables before shouting back, “Oh, I’ll have what Wulf’s having--feel free to order whatever!”

“Of course, I’ll be right there--pick a good one!” Beowulf shouted back, “Anyways, I’m doing well, Lan, I’m out here on a date.”

Lan guffawed and picked up the plate to polish it again, “I thought you said you had bad luck with girls, Wulf! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a woman besides your mom--and that was almost 23 years ago!”

“Was it really that long?” Beowulf laughed and shook his head, “If you’d have my last date--you’d probably think twice before going on another!”

“Oh, was that the one with the Princess of Lions?” Lan pretends to retch in disgust, “God, no wonder you didn’t jump on the whole dating train after that…”

“I really didn’t.” Beowulf sighed, “She was the one who found me, I’ll have you know.”

“She found you?” Lan whistled, “Damn… You must’ve had charm all along, Wulf--knew you had it in you!” He smiles and looks off in Nadia’s direction, “It’s not everyday that someone can say that they’re dating the legendary Ms. Fortune.”

Beowulf went pale, “H-How did you know that was her?”

Lan simply laughed, “Every beastkin feral around knows about Nadia Fortune--the legendary thief who escaped the Black Dahlia and who gives back to the poor! She’s a hero in the gutters, y’know?”

“I knew it! She was like Robert Hode!” Beowulf snapped his fingers, “God, that’s been bugging me for ages.”

“Yep, spot on!” Lan took out a notepad, “Hey. For real, I’m glad you found someone that you really like, Wulf.” Mischievously, he furrows his brow, “I never knew you had a thing for ferals though--not that I’m complaining!”

Beowulf let out a mock laugh, “Yep, that’s me, Beowulf. My wrestling motif finally blended in with my taste in women--was bound to happen someday!”

“Let’s at least hope your tastes here haven’t changed.” Lan snickered, “Will it be the usual?”

“Yep, make it two with bacon on mine and a side of fries for Nadia.” Beowulf nodded.

“Right, well, I’ll get that going real quick.” Lan wrote down the order with haste, “You can go ahead and take a load off, Wulf. And don’t worry about catching up--we can do that another time.”

“I’d love to! I’ll give you my phone number real quick.” Beowulf hastily wrote the number down, and gave it to Lan; he gave him a fist bump before starting off to sit down with Nadia--excited to have Franklin’s after a year. 

“Oh, and Beowulf!” Lan called after him, and Beowulf turned around. “Make sure you treat her right; and be careful with her in the summer, y’hear?”

Beowulf nodded and said, “I will, thank you.” He smiled as he walked towards the seat that Nadia had selected. He and Lancaster had met one another when Lan was 15 and he was 10. At that point, he’d been training to become the new owner alongside his father. The two had bonded over their love of wrestling and Lan used to tell stories about the NMO from the veterans that walked in. His stories were one of the reasons Beowulf had started wrestling as a profession, he loved the passion, detail, and the gumption that he’d tell them with.

When there was nothing at home--or if he didn’t feel like cooking--he’d head out to Franklin’s and have a talk with Lan. In those days, Beowulf would even help out around the restaurant, and earn himself a pint of ice cream to take home to mama! The sunny afternoons where he’d study were the best ones too; Lan would not only help him, but the diner would be mostly empty in the afternoon. It was like a little slice of heaven in a city of fallen angels…

On account of his fame, Beowulf hadn’t come here in over a year because he didn’t want Lan to be overrun with work or the paparazzi. But now that he was in disguise and told Nadia about the spot--she insisted on coming here. He was glad they did, catching up with Lan had--so far--been the best part of the night! Looking at Nadia, however, Beowulf knew it could only go up from here on out. She was looking out the window and smiling--patiently waiting for him to sit down. _“Wonder what she’s thinking about? Can’t wait to see the look on her face when she tries the cheeseburger, that’s gonna be worth a photo and... I forgot my camera… Dang it, Wulf!”_

***

  
  


Nadia was excited. She’d always wondered what going on a date was after reading Minette’s ‘secret stories’. Those romantic evenings out that went into great detail about two star-crossed lovers sharing drinks together at the bar~! But, the restaurants they ate in were always too gaudy for her tastes. It always had to be with a big harp and a live band too… _“Who knew Minette liked that kind of stuff anyway..? Well, she does play the trumpet really well--I’m glad I got her that good quality one after I stole it from that ‘detective’.”_

Her musings of the past were interrupted by Beowulf coming back from the counter with two drink cups in his hands. He looked like a total dork in his outfit, but Nadia couldn’t deny there was something ‘cool’ about it; Beowulf was right about that. She rested her head on one of her hands while Beowulf passed the styrofoam cup to her. Nadia had always enjoyed the feeling of letting her claws touch against these things. Something about it was so soothing to her… If they weren’t in public, she’d play with it like a yarn ball right there and then!

Her jacket’s frills were the same color as it too; but Beowulf’s was plainly colored brown. And what was that emblem on the side of it? _“New Meridian High..? What!? Did Beowulf actually go to high school!? I thought for sure he just went into wrestling, got super famous, and then never looked back! I’ll have to ask him about that…”_ If she was being honest with herself, most of Nadia’s education had come from what Chohan had taught her. He was an intelligent draconian from the Dragon Empire and had schooled Nadia to what he called ‘a sufficient level’.

She considered herself educated enough, but had always had her curiosity piqued by the finer points of learning. Her work ethic was outstanding too; truly, Chohan’s strict regimen had never really left her. By the time she was fifteen it was ingrained within her to a point where she could both do it and recite it verbatim. While she liked to grill the dragonian for his uptight attitude and his penchant for details; he proved a wise teacher that Nadia still thanked to this day for refining her self-discipline. Her thoughts returned to Beowulf when he finally sat down…

He cracks his knuckles and then takes a sip of his drink. _“The way he’s holding the cup like that, is he trying to look cool?”_ Nadia giggled to herself. _“He’s such a dork. But, he’s my dork~”_ She grabbed her cup and took a drink out of it. Immediately, her tastebuds were overwhelmed with pure sweetness; the explosive compound of rich flavors caused her mouth to ignite with unbridled flavor! Beowulf must’ve seen her face during this, because he let out a laugh and asked her, “Great ain’t it? The Franklin’s have brewed their own soda since this place started out way back when!”

“T-This is home brewed!?” Nadia pointed to the cup in her hand in exasperation, “This tastes miles better than the quality stuff they sometimes get out at the docks..!”

“I’ll have to tell Lan about that; he always enjoys getting compliments on this stuff.” Beowulf leaned back a little in his seat and took another sip, “This is Lemon Meringue, by the way--I got us both the same flavor!”

“It’s wonderful, thank you, Wulf~!” Nadia sheepishly smiled, “His name’s Lan, huh?”

“Short for Lancaster.” Beowulf put down his cup and adjusted his glasses, “He’s the owner of this place and the grandson of the founder.”

“Geez…” Nadia smiled, “I didn’t know you’d be taking me to a place like this--full of history and with kickass soda! Thank you, Wulf~”

“Anytime for you, Nadia.” Beowulf gave her a finger gun with a wink. Nadia giggled at this and took another sip of her soda. This night was off to a great start. Not only had Beowulf not gone for something gaudy, but he’d introduced her to possibly one of the best things she’d ever tasted! Not to mention the fact that he held her hand all the way here…

It made her so happy that she might’ve jumped for joy--but it manifested as her squeezing his hand hard. She’d wanted to be by him the whole time they walked down the main streets of New Meridian. Luckily for her, Beowulf seemed to get the hint and let her lean on him too… _“As much of a dork as I like to paint him… Wulf really knows how to make me feel like he’s always by my side~”_ She stared at him with half-shut eyes and continued to smile brightly.

For his part, Beowulf was staring right back at her with smoldering gaze. Together they lost themselves in their admiration for one another. Nadia’s heart was made of rich caramel and felt like a roaring fire… She couldn’t see it, but she was blushing at him, and her tail had gone straight up. She always felt so warm when she was with him…

 _“Man… I really am helpless aren’t I?”_ Nadia scratched one of her ears, _“Getting this hot over a little bit of staring; Blackjack would chew me out for that--he was the king of staring contests!”_ But, Nadia knew this kind of stare was different. She hadn’t read about it in a book, but had heard about it from Yu-Wan once. He called it ‘the look of love’. The stare that someone gave another when their hearts had become entangled by their strings…

Of course, he’d used it to describe food, but Nadia understood the meaning behind it. And that meaning was all behind their transfixion with one another. Without thinking, Nadia let out a purr of admiration to Beowulf. When she realized she’d let it slipped; she covered her mouth in embarrassment--a blush forming across her face. Beowulf only smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. _“Nice going, Nadia.”_ She hid herself in the collar of her sweater, _“What’s next, are you going to rub against him? … He’d like that, wouldn’t he~?”_

Her musings were interrupted by a waiter coming by with their order. Upon the table he placed some utensils, two filled soft-drinks, and their food. Nadia’s eyes lit up when she saw the fattest, juiciest, and roundest cheeseburger she’d ever laid here eyes on. A perfect sweet roll bun, three different kinds of cheese, and a larger than life well-seasoned beef patty… Nadia took one sniff of it and felt herself lapse into her feral mode for half a second. It looked… perfect! It was also accompanied by a side of precision cut fries with edges of the potato on the ends~

Oh, Beowulf had been more than right--this restaurant screamed her name and then some! She was about to dig in to perhaps the best meal of her life so far when she noticed something amiss from Beowulf’s side. His burger looked just as delectable as hers with some added bacon; however, he had no fries! Nadia double-took and asked, “Wulf, did they forget your fries? You should have some right there…”

‘

“No, it’s no mistake.” Beowulf adjusted his utensils, “I just don’t like potatoes is all--so I always skip the fries here.”

Nadia was flabbergasted and nearly spit out, “W-What!? How can you not like potatoes?! There’s so many flavors of chips, and fries are usually to die for!”

“Yeah, they probably are.” Beowulf rolled his eyes, “I just don’t like ‘em--they remind me too much of… bad times.”

“You’re telling me you had one bad helping of mashed potatoes…” Nadia said smugly, “And you swore them off forever? C’mon, Wulf, you gotta at least try again!”

“It doesn’t matter what the dish is…” Beowulf playfully thumbed down for effect, “This man will _not_ down potatoes!”

“Well now I have to…” Nadia’s ears suddenly shot straight up, her body tensed, and her tail swished about. She felt a familiar presence and her eyes darted quickly around the restaurant. They caught the image of two men walking towards their table. When she beheld their visage, Nadia knew exactly who they were. _“Oh, of_ **_course._ ** _I can’t have one damn night out without the Medicis bloodhounds on the prowl, now can I?”_

These two chuckleheads… Nadia knew them from their one encounter at Yu-Wan’s restaurant. Riccardo and Lawrence--two of the Medici’s most well known ‘collectors’. She’d become acquainted with these two on the wrong side when they’d tried to hit on Minette. They tried to force her, but luckily, Nadia busted heads and kicked them to the curb. The two wiseguys had put up a tedious battle back then… Now they were slowly making their way towards her and Beowulf with purpose.

She could see their facial hair barely hidden by their fedoras. They reeked of overpriced cologne and wood chippings. They wore gray, buttoned-up suits, had nylon gloves on, and one of them was smoking a cigarette. _“Trying not to hide anything, like always…”_ Nadia relaxed a bit and rested her head on her right hand. She tried her best to mock their unassuming nature. Beowulf must’ve caught onto this, because he seemed confused, and he looked over to see the two men come closer to their table.

Nadia was happy when Beowulf glowered at them. He could tell these two were ‘bad news’. He looked back to Nadia and then to them while putting his arm out to her. She smiled again and gently locked fingers with him. _“That’s my Wulf..!”_ She loved how much he cared for her. It was so sweet how he immediately had gone to protect her and it made her purr loudly again. _“You really have to get that under control, girl…”_

The two men stopped in front of their table and Nadia removed her hand from Beowulf’s. Flicking her hair out of the way and tapping a claw on the table; she flashed a cheeky smile. The two looked so ridiculous trying to pass themselves off as intimidating that Nadia found it almost cute. She tried to play it like Yu-Wan would’ve. The old dragonian wouldn’t try to act intimidating back at them--rather, he’d prepare himself. He knew his own strength, and so did Nadia; she was tough--maybe tougher--than nails, “Good evening, gentlemen.” She said in a tone that mimicked formality, “I don’t suppose you two are here for my autograph, are you?”

“No. No we aren’t.” Said the light, nasally voice of Riccardo, “You should know why we're here, missy.”

“We owe you big time.” Lawrence’s baritone was compounded by the sound of him cracking his knuckles. “Especially after the… ‘pleasantries’ at Yu-Wan’s.”

“Oh, you two don’t owe me anything~” Nadia put a hand to her chest and guffawed, “Besides, I’m kind of busy here, maybe you could try me another time?”

“Fat chance.” Riccardo snickered, “Today’s the day we finally get what we deserve, ain’t that right, Lawrence?”

“Oh yeah.” Lawrence smiled with wicked intent, “We do deserve something--the raise we’ll get when we finally trounce you.”

“Well then, you’ll have to tell the Medicis to wait on that one.” Nadia got up and removed her sweater. She noticed throughout that entire conversation that they didn’t even bat an eye at Beowulf. Either they were so consumed with hurting Nadia that they didn’t see him, or it could be his choice in clothing... _“Huh… So that disguise really DOES work. Nadia zero, Wulf one.”_ Wulf himself looked ready to punt both of these clowns through a wall. Nadia could see the muscles on his neck flex with anger--anger at these two for threatening his woman.

Nadia managed to stifle her purr this time and tapped Beowulf. With a wink, she whispered, “Don’t worry, I got this.” That seemed to settle the wrestler down, he gave Nadia a wink through his red-tinted glasses and patted her hand. With an extra hint of confidence, she got out of her seat and onto the dining floor. Nadia limbered up and assumed her regular combat stance; her tail swishing back and forth as she eyed the men that now stood equidistant from her.

Riccardo to her front, and Lawrence to her back; Nadia sized the situation up. _“Obviously they’ll both try to rush me. Aside from Dahlia and Cerebella--the Medici muscles aren’t that big on using anything besides brute force…”_ She smirked proudly, her mind was a locker room with her confidence constantly drawing up new plays for her. Behind her back she flicked open a claw and squinted her eyes. A brief standoff had initiated between the three of them. Riccardo and Lawrence had both assumed battle stances as well. All the noise in the restaurant seemed to dissipate for a few moments…

Then it started, Riccardo rushed her with a wound-up punch. She could hear Lawrence behind her--no doubt barreling towards her as well. _“Time to take a page out of your book, Wulf.”_ Nadia had not only been training since the day Beowulf had saved her from Cerebella--but she’d also been reviewing his own matches thanks to the VHS collection he had! Using that, she’d picked up a few new techniques; namely…

Using a sway maneuver, she dodged Riccardo’s punch. Quickly, she swayed to the other side to avoid Lawerence’s grab. The two men were now shocked, confused, and within meters of each other. Oh, it was time. Nadia grabbed both men by the back of their heads. In the time that it would take someone to blink, she smacked them together with overwhelming force-- a freight train in the night. _“The famous ‘Wulf Face-cracker!’”_ The sound of their skulls hitting each other with a satisfying crunch made Nadia smile. Both men doubled back in pain, holding their faces, and lamenting their idiocy…

It was better to take one of them out now rather than handle them both head on. Following that notion, Nadia made for Lawrence who had just recovered only to be hit once in the chest by a jab. He hovels a bit and Nadia strikes with two more jabs that send him a little back. The woman doesn’t let up and delivers a punishing one-inch punch to his gut. This knocks the wind out of Lawrence and staggers him. Nadia reels back and unleashes a finisher to jeet-kune-do inspired onslaught; a mighty lunging arrow kick. Lawrence is knocked into a steel trash can--out cold and hatless…

Riccardo has recovered now and rushes toward her. Nadia laughs and side-swipes his shins with a quick palm slice. The mafia man is thrown for a loop and nearly crumples to the ground in a heap… Nadia points at an imaginary crowd and lunges toward him. _“Eat your heart out, NMO~”_ She grabs Riccardo by the torso and bends her knees. With great strength, she causes her limps to stretch and springs through the air--holding the dazed man in a lock. She descends with unparalleled velocity and slams Riccardo’s body onto the tiled floor; _“Leo Minor Press!”_ Riccardo gasps a little from the pain before shutting his eyes--out cold.

She dusts off her hands as if she’d taken the trash out at Yu-Wan’s and smiles. She carefully picks up both men by their collars and makes her way to the front entrance. Using a Life Gem imbued throw, she chucks them out of the diner and into the bushes near the Ahad Bridge. _“And stay out…”_ Nadia triumphantly chuckles to herself and goes back into the diner. When she arrives, she sees a stunned Lan, Beowulf, and a waiter looking at her…

Nadia stood there with a blank look on her face. Everyone is looking at her now… After a minute of this, all of them let out cheers for Nadia and shower her graciously with applause. The catgirl doubletakes initially. _“This is like something out of a fever dream… But, hell, I’ll take it! I kicked ass!”_ Nadia bows and accepts the applause. She then nonchalantly returns to her seat and puts her jacket back on as if nothing had happened. Beowulf has a big, dumb grin on his face. She giggles softly at his admiration. In a mocking tone, she asks Bewoulf, “How you like me now, Wulf?”

“Like you?” Beowulf tipped his glasses down to reveal his starstruck eyes, “Nadia, I love you--holy shit that was cool!”

Nadia purred loudly at that, “Aww, thanks Wulf--hope you don’t mind if I took inspiration from some of your matches~”

“That press you did… God!” Beowulf pumped his fists, “That was legit one of the best I’ve ever seen in my entire career... My girl’s a real beast!”

Nadia blushed, this was the first time Beowulf had referred to her as ‘his’, “Ever the sweet talker, aren’t you, Wulf~?”

“Only if it makes you smile.” Beowulf took her hand in his.

“Hmph~!” Nadia smugly raised her head up and smiled, “Then give me something that’ll have me smiling for the rest of this evening~” With that, she leaned over the table, took Wulf by the head, and pulled him in for a kiss. He wasn’t as surprised this time as he was before and leaned into her passionate gesture. A post battle kiss felt even sweeter than a regular one. Nadia felt like she was above the clouds--her head was in the stars… When they finished, she gazed at Beowulf with longing eyes, “I love you, Beowulf…”

The man looked right at her and gave her another kiss without a second thought. It was a quick one, but it gave Nadia the message. Proudly, he cupped her cheek and gave her the ‘look of love’. He smiled and replied, “I love you too, Nadia.” She purred loudly at that and sat back down. Still coming down from the emotional high that she was experiencing, Nadia let out a loud sigh of admiration… Which was then followed by her stomach rumbling…

 _“Oh right, I haven’t eaten since breakfast…”_ Embarrassed again, she looked right at Beowulf. They both blinked at each other for a minute and then laughed loudly. It was time to eat! Nadia was excited to try this burger before being rudely interrupted. It was still warm too… The beastkin could barely contain herself as she eyed the burger. She’d been waiting all this time, and now she wouldn’t be denied! Holding it in her hands she took a big bite…

Nadia felt like she was transported outside of her body in the fraction of a second. The savory taste of perfectly seasoned ground beef, the complex tang of a triple cheese blend, and the buttery end of a soft sweet roll… She’d ascended to the flavor dimension and had taken up residence within flavortown. When she snapped back to reality, she saw Beowulf staring at her with a smile. “I remember my first burger here too--they still got it!” He said proudly. _“No kidding… That was amazing..!”_ Nadia happily ate her burger with Beowulf while the streets outside seemed to glow in the night… Another moment she’d remember for the rest of her life.

***

By the time they’d finished eating, Beowulf was sure that tonight had been a real winner. The way Nadia had handled those two losers made his heart soar. And the way she looked during it too… _“God… She was so confident in herself. You don’t see that often in the ring--people usually give their best poker face. This girl waltzes on in with a smile and comes out with a big grin--how can you NOT love that!?”_ Beowulf himself was still smiling like a total goofball from that moment. He finished the rest of his soda and took his trash along with Nadia’s to deposit it.

After doing that, he put his jacket back on and extended his arm for the woman he loved. She gracefully takes it and walks with him to the counter. Lan is finishing up cleaning and greets the two with a wave. The dog-feral beastkin is exuberant and his eyes have a newfound glow to them. He bowed politely to Nadia and gave Beowulf a handshake, “Thanks for coming, you two! I hope you enjoyed your dinner here… And I must say, it’s quite an honor to not only meet Nadia Fortune, but to see her in action is something else!”

Nadia blushed again, “Thank you, sir! Always great to meet a fan. And, those burgers are completely out of this world~! … Do you guys do takeout?”

“We sure do!” Lan said happily, “You can use an alias too if that makes you feel better.”

“Just call her ‘Chate’ when she’s here.” Beowulf playfully nudged Nadia who groaned.

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Lan nodded, “And once again, it’s been great seeing you, Wulf.”

“Likewise.” Beowulf gave Lan a fist bump. “Welp, we should get going now, don’t wanna hold you guys up here longer than you need to be!”

“Haha! That’ll be the day where you hold _me_ up, take care buddy!” Lan let out a guffaw. Beowulf and Nadia waved goodbye to Lan, stepping out onto the familiar stone street that welcomed them into the night. Beowulf had commented on it earlier, but New Meridian was breathtaking at night… It seemed to have a more powerful glow this evening; lights dancing upon a dark dancefloor. He held Nadia’s hand as they walked along. She was leaning into him again and purring loudly…

 _“I just had a full meal and this woman is still trying to give me dessert with her cuteness.”_ Beowulf took a deep breath of the night air. Cheerfully they strolled along the Ahad Bridge. The technicolor city below overwhelming the onyx sky with a golden glow. Beowulf glanced down at Nadia who was still purring on his hip. She looked peaceful and content at his side. To think, they’d really ‘met’ at this bridge a year ago, and now they were lovers. This certainly wasn’t the road he’d expected when he first met her at the arena…

But that didn’t bother Beowulf. Love was mysterious like that; it didn’t have time to question the time, place, or reason behind it--it simply happened. And when it happened it would flourish into a bond that shone brighter than all the lights in New Meridian. Right now, Beowulf was one half of that bond that he intended to keep forever. He couldn’t be more sure of that if he tried; that was almost **impossible!** Nadia had broken through that barrier when they’d spent that rainy night together back in autumn…

Now it was another night they were together and it had been greater than the last one. _“Wonder what else we should do tonight? Maybe another movie? She liked Ho--”_ His thoughts were interrupted by Nadia hissing. _“What’s gotten into her now?”_ Beowulf tried to soothe her by brushing her hair. _“Maybe she saw a bat?”_ He softly whispered to her that everything was fine and told her to calm down…

Upon looking at Nadia’s ears however, he realized his mistake; Nadia hadn’t seen something--she’d heard something. They were twitching… _“Now I don’t know much about cats… But, that can’t be good.”_ Beowulf peeled his eyes and looked about the horizon in front of him. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. There were a few bushes, some tall standing birch trees, a lonely trash can near a wooden bench, and a forlorn looking roadblock sign. That’s all he saw… _“This isn’t about seeing Wulf, remember, she heard things!”_

Sure enough, when he strained his hearing he picked up the faint sound of someone tapping their feet. He looked over to Nadia and she wasn’t moving a muscle. Looking down, he wasn’t tapping his feet either. Process of elimination said to him that someone must’ve been waiting for them here… Stepping in front of Nadia in a protective way, Beowulf shifted his feet and adjusted his glasses. He stood his ground and flexed his body out, waiting for this punk to come out of hiding and tell them what they wanted…

Replace ‘this’ with ‘these’ and you have exactly what came out of the treelines around them. Men and women; of all shapes, sizes, and colors--all wearing the traditional Medici Mafia attire of expensive suits. He spotted those two slimeballs that tried to hurt Nadia among them; their faces still bruised from that _badass_ face-breaker from earlier. Beowulf counted at least twenty of them all together. They were armed too… Brass knuckles, clubs, chains, daggers, baseball bats, and one was carrying a short sword.

Beowulf turned to Nadia and at the same time she turned to him. They both share a look of utter disbelief at the situation. Beowulf smirks a bit, trying to hold back a laugh. Nadia has a ‘give me a break’ look plastered over her face. Taking off his jacket, Beowulf cracks his knuckles and spits to the side. Nadia removes her jacket and sharpens her claws with the stone beneath her. The crowd moves closer to them and readies their weapons… “I knew I should’ve brought the Hurting with me.” Beowulf mused. “You ready, Nadia?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Wulf. I thought I’d already taken out the trash earlier.” Nadia sighed and hunched over.

“There are some stains you gotta rub out twice.” Beowulf limbered up.

“Are you making fun of us, dumbass!?” One of the mobsters shouted in anger.

“Wulf?” Nadia looked at him with a tired smile.

“Yeah, Nadia?” Beowulf smiled back and finished limbering himself.

“After this… I just wanna go cuddle for the night.” Nadia said shyly.

“Oh if you thought I was ready to win this before…” Beowulf felt his heart leap up into his throat again. “I am hell-bent on winning this now.” Nadia flashed him a smirk and he winked at her. “Alright then…” They rushed at the group of would-be-killers with all their might. Beowulf felt the rush of battle hit him again as the wind kicked his ponytail into the air. He reeled back a lunging fist and yelled, **_“LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOO!!!”_ **

***

Beowulf sighed and dusted his shirt off of the excess dirt from the clearly unswept streets… _“What a hassle…”_ The bodies of the Medicis goons lay scattered around the duo, some in the trees, others on the street, and one in a woodpecker’s hollow. He picked up his Alumni Jacket and put it on. He looked over to Nadia and saw her doing the same with hers. All of her outfit was still intact, and the woman only had a few bruises thanks to those morons…

Beowulf had a couple as well, but the damage had been done to him; in the ensuing battle, one of the goons had broken his shades with a bottle to the face. They lay not far off from Beowulf, cracked, bent, and irreparable; red glass like a blood splatter on the pavement. _“Damn it… those were my favorite! Welp, that’s gonna be another trip I have to take on the weekend.”_ He smiled weakly and once again looked over to Nadia.

She had finished pick-pocketing the goons and held a fat wad of cash in her right hand. The pretty feline eagerly flicking through them with a claw. Beowulf chuckled and started over to her. _“Guess that’s what they owe us for damages then?”_ Nadia put away the cash in her coat and gingerly walked to Wulf. She gave him a big hug and nuzzled her face on his stomach. _“My girl’s sweeter than that soda, jeezum..!”_ He sighed and hugged her back, “Love you, Nadia, you did great back there.”

Nadia purred, “Love you too, Wulf~ And you were amazing as always~”

Beowulf sighed, “I just wish those idiots hadn’t broken my shades. I had them custom made, you know--they were cool!” He shook his fist in anger.

Nadia patted him on the back, “Aww~ But you look cuter without them, Wulf~!”

“Thanks, Nadia.” Beowulf blushed a bit and hit his chest, “Listen, I’m sorry for this whole mess; I knew I should’ve gone the other way…”

“Are you kidding me, Wulf?” Nadia flashed a wide smile and giggled, “A night where I can have the best cheeseburger of my life, spend time with my big-bad Wulf, AND trounce some no-good Medici goons is a great night to me~” She held onto his arm tightly.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it Nadia…” Beowulf gave her a pat on the head, “You wanna head back home now?”

“Uh, yeah!” Nadia said sarcastically, “You still owe me a cuddle session, Wulf~”

“Hah! The night is young!” He triumphantly proclaimed. He took Nadia by the arm and the two started down the stone-laden street once again. The spring night air of New Meridian was rather chilly now. But, the city lights were still brighter than ever. As they stepped out into the night and on the road back towards Beowulf’s; the man couldn’t help but smile. He’d lost a pair of glasses, but he got to see Nadia in action twice!

Not only that, he got to fight side-by-side with her against the Medicis! _“Maybe next time they’ll think twice before trying to get their hands on my lady.”_ He looked down at Nadia, who was looking back up at him. They gave each other a quick kiss and Beowulf tussled her hair a bit with his right arm after it was finished. This night had changed his opinion on dating entirely--it didn’t suck, in fact, it could be so amazing that it’d make him feel warm inside…

Their footsteps seem to carry an echo with them as they step further down the stairs and onto the main road again. There aren’t that many cars or people out now, the night life has temporarily winded down, and yet there’s a sparkle in his heart. As they reach the street that their night had begun on, Beowulf holds Nadia tightly; the stars above twinkling in time with the rhythm of the night, and the beating of their hearts...

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading, if you have questions or feedback, please leave comments below!
> 
> I really, really like this ship.
> 
> \- Mouchi


End file.
